1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input device for computers, more particular, to a built-in mouse rack providing a working space for a mouse, allowing the computer user to manipulate a mouse as an input device.
2. Description of the Background Art
For more than three decades, there has been continuous effort to develop various pointing devices for accessing program functions such as a mouse, a track ball, a touch pad, and a stylus pointer.
In particular, it becomes more essential to use a pointing device as well as a keyboard for an input device as the operating system relies on multi-tasking under the graphic user interface (GUI).
Among the variety of pointing devices, the mouse has proven to be the most popular pointing device for the personal computers due to its convenient and efficient handling capability. Thus, it has become quite natural for desktop computers to come equipped with a mouse. The mouse usually sits to the side of the desktop computer and typically resides on a flat surface.
Such a flat surface is usually provided with a mouse pad where the mouse moves in accordance with the user""s movement to provide input to the computer. A few devices have been developed which allow the mouse to be positioned relative to the computer.
For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,805,139 and 5,861,873 disclose techniques to implement a pointing device for computers.
In the meantime, a rapidly growing segment of the PC market is an industrial PC for the control of electronic systems.
The industrial PC for the control of a system such as a security system is often embodied in a rack to accommodate a small space. In this case, a workspace is needed for a mouse in order to allow the industrial PC to use a standard mouse as a pointing device since desktop space is not available in a rack.
Furthermore, since the industrial PC controlling the machinery system is usually operated in a dusty environment, exposure to the dust can degrade the performance of the computer including a mouse to a critical degree.
In view of these problems, there is a need in the art for a computer, especially for an industrial computer employed for the control of a machinery system, which overcomes the above-noted problems these limitation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a computer with a built-in mouse rack for providing a workspace of a mouse.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a computer with a space to store the mouse during the time when the mouse is not used.
In accordance with a broad aspect of the present invention, a computer with a built-in mouse rack and method of operation thereof is provided.
The computer, including the built-in mouse rack of the present invention, comprises a mainframe having housing at the front for storing a mouse and a sliding rack for the accommodation of the mouse in the housing.
The computer in accordance with the present invention further comprises a cover with a hinge for the protection of the rack from the dust.
The sliding mouse rack in accordance with the present invention can extend substantially out of the housing of the mainframe, and the planar surface of the rack can provide a workspace on which the mouse is free to move.
Furthermore, the sliding mouse rack in accordance with the present invention can be kept in a stowed position whereby the mouse rack is retracted within the housing when the mouse is not used and is protected from the dusty environment.
As a preferred embodiment for the built-in rack in accordance with the present invention, a drawer can be implemented to accommodate a mouse and to provide a planar workspace for the movement of the mouse.
In this case, the vertical depth of the drawer should be carefully designed in such a manner that the mouse should not be kept away from the drawer.
As another preferred embodiment for the built-in rack in accordance with the present invention, the built-in mouse rack can move back and forth from the housing by a translation.
In this case, the driving force for the translation of the rack can be either a restoring force from a spring or an electric force from an electric motor.